The present invention relates to a warp knitting machine and, more particularly, to a warp knitting machine of the Malimo type for the strengthening of a non-woven fabric.
This type of machine includes a row of knitting needles, the hooks of which can be closed by controllable slide wires, a row of knock-over sinkers, the sinkers being arranged between the needles, counter means for holding the non-woven fabric while it is being fed and stitched, the counter means being disposed opposite the knock-over sinkers and a supporting bar extending opposite the fabric surface which has been stitched in order to guide the non-woven fabric which has been stabilized by the stitching.
Apparatuses of the type involved in the present invention have been used to stabilize a non-woven fabric by stitching into the non-woven fabric a group of warp threads. The hooks of the needles engage not only the warp threads but also some of the fibers of the non-woven fabric and interwine those fibers with the warp threads. The result of this technique is that it is not possible to separate the warp threads from the stabilized non-woven fabric. Moreover, the warp threads are not capable of initiating runs. This run-stopping effect may be increased or diminished as required.
In a well-known apparatus of this type, the counter means, in the form of counter pins, are bent in stages in the direction of withdrawal of the fabric toward the knockover sinker in order to form a zone in which the fabric is compressed against the knock-over sinkers. The bent pins are subjected to a very high load and, conseequently, break quite often. This results in great losses of productivity and a large need for spare parts.